2012 Form Challenges
#20 Pantoum

The Pantoum was originally a Malaysian form of poetry, but was adopted and adapted by the French and became very popular with them,
Fouinet, Hugo and Baudelaire, being amongst the foremost users of this form.
The French liked it probably because of the way the quatrains were linked to each other, making it similar to existing French forms.

The rhyme pattern is as follows; A1, B1, A2,
B2, ... B1, C1, B2,
C2, etc, the last stanza being Z1, A2, Z2,
A1, note the reversal of the final repeat couplet thus completeing the circle.

Unlike most of these strict repeating forms if we retain the original Malaysian format, there is no set stanza count, syllable count, or need for
the last stanza to repeat back to the first. This makes the Pantoum ideal for narratives that demand repetition or emphasis. The French tend to
use an eight syllable count and repeat back to the first stanza. Here is a Malaysian example:

My eyes opened to the sun rise
First golden rays were kissing Earth
On trees of whispering sighs
Echoed in greeting the day's birth.

First golden rays were kissing Earth
The mountains shimmer purple hue
Echoed in greeting the day's birth
My eyes opened to look at you.

The mountains shimmer purple hue
Reflections of a night now gone
My eyes opened to look at you
Now my heart knows you are the one.

Reflections of a night now gone
On trees of whispering sighs
Now my heart knows you are the one
My eyes opened to the sun rise.

-----

Fond Goodbye (French)

'Tis time to say a fond goodbye
No questions asked beneath the moon
So long ago a reason why
By magic cast upon a rune.

No questions asked beneath the moon
For destiny will never wait
By magic cast upon a rune
There is no stopping Lady Fate.

For destiny will never wait
As life journeys slowly unfold
There is no stopping Lady Fate
Her story revealed as it's told.

As life journeys slowly unfold
The heart must come to know of love
Her story revealed as it's told
As it is below it is above.

The heart must come to know of love
Yet feel the pain of loss and death
As it is below it is above
When love draws its eternal breath.

Yet feel the pain of loss and death
For joy cannot be sold or bought
When love draws its eternal breath
The memories are distant thought.

For joy cannot be sold or bought
Within empty fantasy's dream
The memories are distant thought
And a lost soul dares not to scream

Within empty fantasys dream
So long ago a reason why
And a lost soul dares not to scream
Tis time to say a fond goodbye.

-----

Golden Rust

As green hills change to golden rust
And in the sunlight shimmer red
The turning seasons are a must
So life can come from all that's dead.

And in the sunlight shimmer red
While roses wither on the bow'r
So life can come from all that's dead
The sacred truth of nature's pow'r.

While roses wither on the bow'r
And winter nights are drawing in
The sacred truth of nature's pow'r
That's found in love for kith and kin.

And winter nights are drawing in
As hearts quest for the warmth of fire
That's found in love for kith and kin
Then sings of joy in all desire.

As hearts quest for the warmth of fire
The turning seasons are a must
Then sings of joy in all desire
As green hills change from golden rust.

-----

Love In Twilight

Behind the hills the sun resigns
And just beyond lies destiny
A trail of words in poet's lines
That led me to the heart of she.

And just beyond lies destiny
A little further long the way
That led me to the heart of she
For love is all that's left to say.

A little further long the way
I'll see her smile as time suspends
For love is all that's left to say
For she is where my journey ends.

I'll see her smile as time suspends
A trail of words in poet's lines
For she is where my journey ends
Behind the hills the sun resigns.

-----

Remember Them All

We say 'We will remember them'
Armistice Day is drawing near
For time shall never dare condemn
Those we honour and hold so dear.

Armistice Day is drawing near
Yet round the world there is still war
Those we honour and hold so dear
They're fighting battles as before.

Yet round the world there is still war
So let us think of those on Earth
They're fighting battles as before
We pray for peace for all we're worth.

For time shall never dare condemn
We say 'We will remember them'.

-----

Starting Over (Sonnet)

To say good bye is hard to do
When emptiness is all that waits
The letting go to greet the new
The unknown path entwined with fate.

When emptiness is all that waits
There seems no way to start afresh
The unknown path entwined with fate
That lingers long on human flesh.

There seems no way to start afresh
With new beginnings in a kiss
That lingers long on human flesh
As love returns in silent mist

The letting go to greet the new
To say good bye is hard to do.

-----

Tears of Rain (Sonnet)

My heart encased in carapace
No longer can love cause me pain
My eyes are blind to all that lace
Whilst tears are only caused by rain.

No longer can love cause me pain
As passion's dreams are left to rust
Whilst tears are only caused by rain
Her sweetest smile had turned to dust.

As passion's dreams are left to rust
I buried love too deep inside
Her sweetest smile had turned to dust
No place remains where dreams collide.

My eyes are blind to all that lace
My heart encased in carapace.

-----

Well adapted to the task

A predator who hunts by night.
Quarters the sky on silent wings.
The owl with night adapted eyes
Is well equipped for night hunting.

Quarters the sky on silent wings.
In search of unsuspecting prey
Is well equipped for night hunting
Owls rarely venture out by day.
In search for unsuspecting prey
To satisfy their appetite.
Owls rarely venture out by day.
They much prefer the dim twilight.

To satisfy their appetite.
This predator who hunts by night.
They much prefer the dim twilight.
The owls with night adapted sight.

I am in love this cannot be,
I know your happiness was meant
to be, and only when I see
You smile, then can I be content.

I know your happiness was meant
to be, by holy heavens grace.
you smile, and then can I be content,
because I see your radiant face.

To be by holy heavens grace,
favoured above all women.
Because I see your radiant face,
in every smile I see an omen

Favoured above all women,
for your sweetness and your chastity.
In every smile I see an omen,
foreseeing your generosity.

For your sweetness and your chastity,
the pleasure of your company.
Foreseeing your generosity,
the kindness that you show to me.

The pleasure of your company
to be, and only when I see,
the kindness that you show to me.
I am in love this cannot be.

-----

Well adapted to the task

A predator who hunts by night.
Quarters the sky on silent wings.
The owl with night adapted eyes
Is well equipped for night hunting.

Quarters the sky on silent wings.
In search of unsuspecting prey
Is well equipped for night hunting
Owls rarely venture out by day.
In search for unsuspecting prey
To satisfy their appetite.
Owls rarely venture out by day.
They much prefer the dim twilight.

To satisfy their appetite.
This predator who hunts by night.
They much prefer the dim twilight.
The owls with night adapted sight.